Chapter 263: Renxin Yiguan, The Mutated Poison

When Hu Ze Zhi finally entered the inn where they were staying, her mind was still muddled. Lu Qing, meanwhile, had already chosen a room, settled his belongings, and made his way to the front of the inn.

"Master," he said, approaching the innkeeper. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Please, sir, I'm at your service. What may I assist you with?" the innkeeper quickly replied, bowing slightly.

Lu Qing and his companions had been generous with their payments—booking the finest guest rooms and not haggling over the price. To the innkeeper, they were clearly high-ranking guests.

"Do you know of any good apothecary in this town? I’d like to purchase some medicinal herbs."

"Herbs, sir?" The innkeeper paused, considering. "There are two clinics in Yunlai Town. If you're looking for herbs, I’d recommend Renxin Yiguan. Master Zhao Da Fu is highly skilled, and his reputation here is the best. He charges fair prices and never cheats his patients."

"Renxin Yiguan, then," Lu Qing said with a nod. "Thank you for the guidance."

"You're most welcome. Just head right after leaving the inn, and keep walking straight—you’ll see the sign."

After exiting the inn, Lu Qing followed the innkeeper’s directions. Turning right and walking down the street, he eventually reached the end, where he spotted the modest storefront of Renxin Yiguan.

He stepped inside.

At that moment, the clinic was empty of patients. Only a young apprentice sat behind the counter, his head propped on one hand, dozing off.

Lu Qing tapped the counter twice with his fingers.

"Master, I wasn’t sleeping…!" The apprentice jolted awake, startled, and nearly fell off his stool.

He blinked, rubbed his eyes, then looked up—and froze when he realized the voice hadn’t come from his master, but from a stranger.

Relief washed over his face. "Oh… it’s you, sir. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought Master had come back!"

"My apologies," Lu Qing said, a faint smile touching his lips. He hadn’t expected such a reaction.

"No harm done," the apprentice sighed. "As long as it’s not Master, I’m fine. Now, sir, what brings you here? Are you ill? Or looking to pick up some herbs?"

"I’d like to buy some medicinal herbs. Here’s a list. Could you help me gather them?" Lu Qing handed over a written list.

"Wait—don’t call me 'little doctor'!" The apprentice waved his hands frantically. "I’m not even fully trained yet. If Master hears me called that, he’ll scold me again!"

He took the list, glanced at it, and his eyes widened. "You need this many herbs?"

Lu Qing chuckled. "We’re just travelers passing through. We’ve some knowledge of medicine, and we’ve run out of supplies. Thought we’d replenish here. Is your clinic unable to source these?"

"Most of them are fine," the apprentice replied, frowning. "But we’re running low on white bai zhi and huang qi. Oddly enough, today was supposed to be the delivery day from the herb farmers. They should’ve arrived by now…"

Before Lu Qing could respond, the door burst open, and a group of men rushed in, panicked.

"Master Zhao! Master Zhao! Help! Help! Lao Wang’s been bitten by a venomous snake!"

They lowered a stretcher. On it lay a man, his face pale and tinged with blue-black, unconscious. His right trouser leg had been cut open, revealing a leg swollen and grotesquely bloated, tightly bound by a red rope. The skin around the bite was dark and pulsing.

"Li Da Shu! What happened? What’s wrong with Lao Wang?" The apprentice gasped, dropping the herb list and rushing forward.

"Xiao Yi? Only you’re here? Where’s Master Zhao?" Li Da Shu asked urgently.

"Master and my senior brother are out on a house call. They haven’t returned yet."

"What? Master’s out? Then what do we do? Lao Wang went into the mountains this afternoon to gather herbs, and he got bitten. He’s already unconscious. If we don’t act fast, he’ll die!"

Li Da Shu slammed his fist on the counter, his voice trembling with panic. He turned to the apprentice. "Xiao Yi, can you treat snakebite?"

"I? No—Master never lets me treat anyone!" The apprentice backed away, shaking his head.

Li Da Shu didn’t seem disappointed. He knew exactly how capable the boy was.

He took a deep breath. "All right. We’re taking Lao Wang to Fulai Yiguan. Qian Ba Pi may be greedy and stingy, but his medical skills aren’t bad. Let’s move—there’s still a chance!"

The men didn’t hesitate. They lifted the stretcher and turned to leave.

But just as they did, they froze.

There, crouched beside the stretcher, was a young man—his fingers delicately pinching a silver needle, pressing it into the blackened, swollen leg of the unconscious man.

"Sir, what are you doing?!" Li Da Shu cried, startled, and took a step forward.

But before he could get closer, an invisible force gently but firmly pushed him back. He couldn’t move an inch.

"Your friend’s poison has nearly reached his heart. If we don’t draw out the venom immediately, even a celestial being wouldn’t be able to save him," Lu Qing said calmly, not looking up. His fingers moved with swift precision, driving more than a dozen silver needles into the wound, sealing it shut.

The speed and certainty of his movements, combined with the strange force that had stopped Li Da Shu, told the onlookers one thing: this young man was no ordinary traveler.

Li Da Shu fell silent, afraid to disturb him. The others held their breath, eyes wide, watching every motion.

Seeing that they understood, Lu Qing exhaled. Lives were at stake. If they’d started arguing, he’d have had no choice but to use force.

Only silence allowed him to focus.

After sealing the wound, Lu Qing pulled back the man’s shirt. His brow furrowed.

The man’s chest was covered in the same blue-black aura, spreading slowly toward the heart. Only the heart itself remained untouched—yet it was already being consumed.

Lu Qing knew: once that darkness fully covered the chest, the poison would have fully taken hold. At that point, recovery would be nearly impossible.

He didn’t waste a second. From his Qi Nang, he pulled out another set of silver needles. His hand blurred, and in less than a breath, he drove eighteen needles around the man’s chest, forming a precise, interlocking pattern. The needles hummed faintly, glowing with a soft silver light.

The blue-black aura halted instantly. It was trapped beyond the barrier, unable to advance.

The sight stunned everyone—especially the apprentice, who stared, mouth agape.

Once the barrier was complete, Lu Qing let out a slow breath. The man was lucky. If he’d arrived even a little later, or if Lu Qing hadn’t been there… the poison would have spread too far.

He turned to Li Da Shu. "He’s still alive. But it’s not over yet."

"Will he… survive?" Li Da Shu asked, voice trembling.

"It’s uncertain," Lu Qing said. "The venom is unusual. It doesn’t act fast, but it’s tenacious. You gave him antivenom, I assume?"

"Yes! Right after the bite," Li Da Shu nodded. "We thought he’d be fine. But then his condition worsened—quickly. That’s why we brought him here."

Li Da Shu, a seasoned herb gatherer, knew the dangers of the mountains. He and his companions always carried antivenom and repellents. They were prepared.

"But there’s something strange," Li Da Shu added. "The snake that bit him… it looked like a common brocade snake. Normally, they’re timid—run at the sight of people. They’re not aggressive, and their venom is weak. A proper treatment usually cures it within hours."

"But today… this one wasn’t afraid. It attacked the moment Lao Wang saw it. It was furious—almost unnatural."

Lu Qing listened, his mind racing. He had a suspicion. But now wasn’t the time to question. He had to save a life.

He turned to the apprentice. "Young master, I need to purge the poison from this man’s body. I’ll need herbs to assist. I’ll recite the formula—please prepare them and brew the decoction as fast as you can."

The apprentice was still stunned by Lu Qing’s earlier performance. Now, he didn’t hesitate. "Y-yes, sir! Right away!"

"Ban Zhi Lian, half a liang. Bai She Cao Hua, one liang…"

Lu Qing spoke the formula, his hands moving with practiced ease. Then, without warning, a slender silver blade appeared in his hand.

He first withdrew the needles from the leg. Then, with the blade, he made a small cross-shaped incision over the bite wound.

Thick, black blood began to ooze out.

"Give me a bowl," Lu Qing ordered.

Li Da Shu grabbed a large medicine bowl from the counter. "Here!"

Lu Qing placed it beneath the wound. Then, with a flick of his finger, he struck the silver needle array on the chest.

The needles vibrated, humming louder. And instantly, the flow of black blood increased—dripping steadily into the bowl.

The stench was overwhelming—a foul, metallic rot that made the air feel thick. Even the apprentice gagged.

Lu Qing frowned. "Step back. This venom is dangerous. Too much exposure could poison you too."

Li Da Shu and the others recoiled, covering their mouths. Their minds reeled. A brocade snake? How could it be this deadly?

It was like a completely different creature.

Once they were far enough back, Lu Qing stood tall, face calm, continuing to channel energy through the needles, forcing out the poison.

One after another, the bowl filled. When it was full, Li Da Shu, without being told, grabbed a large clay pot, covered his nose, and handed it over.

Lu Qing poured the toxic blood into the pot and resumed the process.

Under his relentless pressure, three full bowls of black blood were drained from the man’s body.

Only then did the blood flowing from the wound begin to turn red.

Li Da Shu and the others stared, pale-faced. They couldn’t believe how much blood had been lost. How could anyone survive?

But then, slowly, the unconscious man’s chest began to rise and fall—shallow at first, then deeper. His breathing stabilized.

The swelling in his leg receded. The blue-black discoloration faded from his face. Color returned.

At that moment, the apprentice emerged from the back room, carrying a steaming bowl of herbal decoction. "Master… I mean, sir… the medicine is ready."

"Give it here," Lu Qing said.

He scanned the brew with his abilities. The heat had slightly overcooked it, reducing some potency—but it was still usable.

He poured the liquid into the man’s mouth, then used his needle technique to help dissolve and circulate the medicine through his body.

Only then did he remove all the silver needles and cover the pot of poison with a lid.

"Is he… going to be okay?" Li Da Shu asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"The venom is mostly purged," Lu Qing said. "A little residue remains, but this medicine should neutralize it completely. However, the internal damage is severe. He’ll need time to recover—months, perhaps. I’ll write a restorative prescription. Follow it strictly, and he should heal."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you!" Li Da Shu gripped Lu Qing’s hand, tears in his eyes. "You don’t know… Lao Wang has three children. His wife can’t walk well. His whole family—five people—depends on him. If he dies… what would become of them?"

The others echoed his gratitude.

Lu Qing smiled. "No need for thanks. I’m a healer. My master always taught me: a physician’s duty is to heal. This is what I must do."

"Ah… forgive me, sir," a soft voice came from the door. "May I ask—what great physician is your master? To have trained such a remarkable young healer…"

"Master!" The apprentice gasped, turning toward the voice, his face lighting up with joy.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end